Discriminating chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) mutants using DUS descriptors Verma A.K.1,*, Prasad K.V.1, Kumar Surendra1, Singh Kanwar Pal1, Sharma Meenakshee2 1Division of Floriculture and Landscaping, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012 2ICAR-National Research Centre on Seed Spices, Ajmer, Rajasthan-305206 *E-mail: arvindhort@gmail.com
Online published on 23 October, 2017. Abstract Mutation induced by gamma rays has been successfully used in chrysanthemum to develop new varieties with novel traits. Novel mutants isolated by in vitro regeneration from chrysanthemum ray florets were characterized using DUS morphological descriptors established by PPV&FRA (Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers ’Rights Authority). The DUS testing of the four novel mutants, which were solid in nature and differed from their parent. These mutants also variable among themselves in eight major morphological descriptors out of 78. The mutants were novel with the respect of stem: colour, flower bud: colour of outer side just before flowering, ray floret: colour of outer side of majority of ray florets, ray floret: colour of inner side of majority of ray florets, ray floret: colour of inner side of majority of ray florets when faded, ray floret: colour of inner side of majority of ray florets, ray floret: longitudinal axis of ray florets of outer row, disc floret: colour. These novel characters of the mutants may make them eligible for seeking plant variety protection as per the PPV&FR Act 2001. The present study also demonstrates the robustness of the newly evolved DUS test guidelines of chrysanthemum to establish the Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability of the novel mutants of chrysanthemum. Top Keywords Chrysanthemum, DUS Test, descriptor, morphological characterization, novel mutants. Top |